Yes, it’s QNX under the hood, but can I install my own image on it, is it going to be all proprietary locked down, no-touching, no-hacking? I think they could actually hold ground on the iPad if they let developers hack the system.

If their policy is anything like that of their Phones, then replacing the software shouldn't be that much of an issue. Using an unofficial OS on my Curve was as easy as running an installer executable.